Driver accidentally hits accelerator rather than brake

By Misti Strader
Tribune-Courier News Editor
mstrader@tribunecourier.com

BENTON – It was just after 2 p.m. Friday when the driver of a white minivan accidentally hit the accelerator rather than the brake, causing the vehicle to plummet through the front entryway of the Edward Jones building on the court square in Benton.

79 year-old Robert L. Zinkle was reportedly attempting to pull into the business’ parking lot to make an insurance payment when the accident occurred.

There were no injuries reported, but a quick look at the wreckage suggests it’s nothing short of a miracle that everyone walked away unharmed.

The van was completely submerged into the front of the building.

Resident David Alvey, who lives in the apartment above Edward Jones said, “we heard the sound of squealing tires all the way around the curve, like somebody was flooring it.”

Alvey said after hearing the loud crash, he knew exactly what had happened. “The whole building shook,” he said. Alvey reported that he was asked to evacuate the building while emergency workers assessed the damage to the building’s structure.

Branch Office Administrator for Edward Jones, Chuck Erickson witnessed the entire event.

“I observed the van coming into the parking spot at an angle, when I heard the engine roar simultaneously with the wheels starting to spin.”

Erickson chuckled when he admitted, “the first thing that came to my mind was a smart-aleck kid showing off for his girlfriend. I remember thinking, if he is not careful, he might bump the front of our building.”

Erickson said by the time those thoughts entered his mind, he had gotten up and headed about 10 feet down the hallway.

“I remember watching and thinking, I cannot believe what I am seeing.”

He said his first inclination was to be angry that someone could upset the office in such a way and endanger everyone’s lives.

But after the car came to rest, Erickson noticed it was not some young person attempting to show off, but rather an elderly couple which he happened to know.

“They were just sitting in the car, looking stunned at what had just happened. They were not hurt, just very still.”

Erickson said the van struck the front reception area where Senior Branch Office Administrator Lori McGregor’s desk sits.

“The only reason Lori was not killed,” Erickson said, “was that she happened to be in our financial advisor’s office.”

Initially, when they heard the noise, Erickson said it was thought to be an explosion.

“They came barreling out of the back office and looked at what had been Lori’s desk. It was literally accordianed together and shoved into the wall. There was no room for anyone to have withstood that impact.

“It was a combination of the desk and wall that stopped the car,” he said. “There are burn marks on carpet when the wheels were still spinning after car made impact.”

Erickson said the entire staff at Edward Jones is considering the fact that no one was injured, a miracle.

“Had this happened 30 minutes later, the sidewalk would have been full of school children making their way up to Nelson’s pharmacy,” he said.

Additionally, Erickson noted that it is very common for one or two clients to be in the lobby area of their business. However, on this day, there were none.

Despite cuts and burns in the carpet and a bit of fixture damage here and there, Erickson reported that Edward Jones was open for business first thing Monday morning.